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Daily postings from the Keystone State Education
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The Keystone State Education Coalition is
pleased to be listed among the friends and allies of The Network for Public Education. Are you a member?
SB1085 is now listed on the Senate calendar for 3rd
consideration. Have you discussed
charter reform with your state legislators?
Debating charter school reform in Pennsylvania
WHYY Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane - Audio
runtime 52:01
Has Pennsylvania
The
Top Five Reasons Your State Senator Should Oppose SB 1085–Reason #4
Language that charter schools be models of
innovation has been inexplicably stripped from SB 1085
SB 1085 eliminates longstanding requirements
that charter schools be models of innovation for other public schools. Removal of this key language from the
legislation begs the question, If the purpose of charter schools is not
to provide something different and better than the traditional public schools,
what is their purpose? As
Pennsylvanians certainly cannot afford to fund a second, parallel, costly, and
completely duplicative system of public education, it is essential that any
charter school reform legislation retain language that requires charter schools
to be models of innovation for our public schools.
The
Five Top Reasons Your State Senator Should Oppose Senate Bill 1085
Reason #5 to Oppose SB 1085 The Private Authorizer
System
The PA Senate is poised to vote on SB 1085,
the charter school “reform” bill. Now is the time for Pennsylvanians who care
about our public schools to contact our state senators and urge them to oppose
this legislation. Over the next 5 days our blog will detail 5 deeply flawed
policies in SB 1085. Please take a few minutes, contact your senator each day
this week to share your concerns about these flawed policies, urge him/her to
oppose SB 1085, and share this information far and wide! If our senators don’t
hear from voters, they will likely pass this bill.
Reason #5 to Oppose SB 1085 The Private Authorizer
System
SB 1085 creates a private authorizer system
for charter schools in PA. More than 100 institutions of higher education,
including institutions with no experience, capacity, or faculty in education,
would be allowed to authorize an unlimited number of charter schools without
input from local communities. Charter schools will be able to set
up shop without community approval, and send us the bill—whether we can afford
it or not.
PA
House Democratic Policy Committee hears from experts on school funding reform
and expanding education opportunities
Rep. Roebuck’s website PHILADELPHIA ,
Jan. 7
Members of the House Democratic Policy
Committee heard from university professors, education organization leaders and
child advocates at a public hearing at the National Constitution
Center Pennsylvania
"Now that we have standards, we have the PSSAs, we have the
upcoming Keystone Exams, we have a costing-out study, the world has
changed," Brownstein told members of the House Democratic Policy
Committee. "It's not going to be easy. We have to convince the courts they
have to take a new look at this. We think we have a very strong case, but you
never know."
Activists: Education funding debate likely to return to court
Activists: Education funding debate likely to return to court
SOLOMON LEACH, DAILY NEWS STAFF
WRITER January
8, 2014 , 3:01 AM
THE BATTLE OVER fair and equitable school
funding in Pennsylvania Education
Law Center
in Pennsylvania
“The outcome of that decision could resonate nationwide. Forty-five
states have had lawsuits challenging the failure
of governors and legislators to provide essential resources for a
constitutional education. Litigation is pending against 11 states that
allegedly provide inadequate and unfair school funding, including New York , Florida , Texas and California
What’s
the Matter With Kansas
New York Times OP-ED By DAVID
SCIARRA and WADE HENDERSON Published: January 7, 2014
Inquirer
Editorial: Schoolchildren are the victims
POSTED: Wednesday, January 8, 2014 , 2:01 AM
Last year, a group of parents and educators
meeting with the Inquirer Editorial Board voiced concerns about the funding
crisis facing the city's schools, but they had warm words for local elected
officials who they said were fighting for schoolchildren. The group seemed perplexed when their
confidence in the politicians was questioned, but perhaps they feel the same
skepticism now. Months later, public officials have yet to take the steps
necessary to fix the system's structural deficit - and schoolchildren are
suffering as a result. Inquirer
education writer Kristen A. Graham has been detailing the suffering. In
articles this week, she reported that the college plans of some of the School District 's best students have been unduly delayed
by a lack of high school guidance counselors to help them meet application
requirements.
Pension
challenge looms large as Pa.
WHYY Newsworks by Mary Wilson JANUARY 7, 2014
One
issue on his mind was pension costs. The
commonwealth's scheduled payments into its vastly underfunded system are going
skyward this year, putting pressure on the rest of the state budget. The issue is just as important now as
transportation funding was a year ago, Scarnati said. But he is more inclined
to change pension benefits for future employees than change benefits of current
workers, as the governor has proposed.
Deficit,
time limit subdue educational expectations in Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review By Megan
Harris Published: Monday, Jan. 6, 2014 , 11:36 p.m.
Charter school reform and a new special education funding formula top the educational wish list of Pennsylvania's legislative committee leaders, despite a projected budget deficit of up to $1.4 billion. “Of course, we'd like to think we're going to get more dollars for education,” said Rep. Paul Clymer, a Bucks County Republican and House education committee chair, “but we're less than 30 days from a budget proposal. Whatever happens, we'll have to use what we're given wisely.” Gov. Tom Corbett presents his budget on Feb. 4, opening a four-month debate some legislators say is unlikely to sway toward education. The 2014-15 session will open on Tuesday.
Charter school reform and a new special education funding formula top the educational wish list of Pennsylvania's legislative committee leaders, despite a projected budget deficit of up to $1.4 billion. “Of course, we'd like to think we're going to get more dollars for education,” said Rep. Paul Clymer, a Bucks County Republican and House education committee chair, “but we're less than 30 days from a budget proposal. Whatever happens, we'll have to use what we're given wisely.” Gov. Tom Corbett presents his budget on Feb. 4, opening a four-month debate some legislators say is unlikely to sway toward education. The 2014-15 session will open on Tuesday.
Mapping
Project Shows Philadelphia
Education Week Early Years Blog By Julie
Blair on January 7, 2014 9:15
AM
Advocates of early-childhood education have
long suspected that Philadelphia Philadelphia
Meehan
cheers bill that would support special-needs students
By Danielle
Lynch, Delaware County Daily 10:21 PM
EST |
UPPER DARBY — U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan, R-7, of
Upper Darby, visited Primos Elementary School Tuesday morning to learn about
the school’s autism support program in light of a bill the House passed that
will direct funds to children with special needs.
The Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act
was approved last month. Meehan said the bill will divert about $12 million
dedicated for political conventions and redirect it to support children with
special needs, such as those with autism and pediatric cancer. The House is now
calling on the Senate to pass this bill and Meehan said he hopes the Senate
will take up the bill promptly.
For
three Catholic schools, 'Cyber Days' replace old snow days
The digital age giveth and it taketh away.
For students in northern climes, the ritual of
turning on the TV or radio on winter mornings, aquiver with the anticipation of
a snow day declaration -- indeed the snow day itself -- may be threatened by
the inexorable march of technological progress.
Several local Catholic schools have
substituted "Cyber Days" for snow days, taking advantage of
ubiquitous Internet access among their students to avoid losing instructional
time to winter weather. With
temperatures plunging to record lows Tuesday, Seton-LaSalle
Catholic High
School in Mt.
Lebanon
Stepped-up
mediation in Philly contract talks
The notebook by Dale
Mezzacappa on Jan 07 2014
With the start of the new year, the two sides
in the ongoing labor talks between the School
District and the teachers' union have jointly agreed to stepped-up
mediation, a development that both sides described as an effort to reach some
conclusion -- but not a sign that they are at an impasse. The high-stakes negotiations have been going
on since last spring with no public sign of progress. The contract expired
Aug. 31, more than four months ago. Talks were scheduled for every day this
week.
“But some states have lingering, fundamental fiscal problems to
grapple with. In Pennsylvania Quinnipiac University in Hamden , Conn. , showed that on education, 62 percent of Pennsylvania
State
Lawmakers Face Tough Choices on Common Core
Common core likely flash point
Education Week By Andrew
Ujifusa January
7, 2014
State legislators begin their 2014 sessions
this month grappling with the best way forward on the Common Core State
Standards in a tricky political climate, with a majority of governors and
lawmakers up for election in the fall.
For many states, this year will be a key
juncture for decisions about the standards—and related exams—before their full
weight is felt in classrooms, district offices, and state education departments
in the 2014-15 school yea
“A draft action plan by the advocacy group FreedomWorks
lays out the effort as a series of stepping stones: First, mobilize to strike
down the Common Core. Then push to expand school choice by offering parents tax
credits or vouchers to help pay tuition at private and religious schools. Next,
rally the troops to abolish the U.S.
For right, Common Core fight prelude to bigger agenda
For right, Common Core fight prelude to bigger agenda
Politico By STEPHANIE SIMON |
1/7/14 5:05 AM EST
National advocacy groups powered by the Koch
brothers and other conservative megadonors have found a new cause ripe with
political promise: the fight to bring down the Common Core academic standards. The groups are stoking populist anger over
the standards — then working to channel that energy into a bold campaign to
undercut public schools, weaken teachers unions and push the federal government
out of education policy. The Common Core
standards, which have been adopted in 45 states plus the District of Columbia
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/01/common-core-conservatives-education-101796.html#ixzz2pj0RQmkW
A
sobering way to start 2014
In the current issue of The American
Prospect, Richard Rothstein reviews Patrick Sharkey’s “Stuck
in Place,” a 2013 book that helps explain the persistent failure of
educational policy to spur the upward mobility of low-income African American
youth. Here’s a piece on the findings in the book by Rothstein, research
associate at the Economic Policy Institute, a non-profit
organization created to broaden the discussion about economic policy to include
the interests of low- and middle-income workers. This appeared on the
EPI website.
Joanne
Barkan: How Rich Folks Will Overcome (Public Education)
Diane Ravitch’s Blog By dianeravitch January
8, 2014 //
Joanne Barkan has written a series of
brilliant articles about the corporate reform movement and its wealthy
supporters for “Dissent” magazine. She wrote this article for this blog. In it,
she reflects on the venture capitalists’ belief that they are leaders of a new
civil rights movement.
Ms. Katie’s Ramblings Blog by Katie Osgood
Tuesday, January
7, 2014
An interesting discussion broke out over the
recent announcement by the Chicago Public Schools to keep schools open
despite a dangerous extreme cold snap hitting the city, a decision which they
later reversed thanks in part to pressure from the Chicago Teachers Union. On social media, many worried that closing
schools would be detrimental to the neediest families. Many claimed,
rightfully-so, that school was often the only place where kids could get a hot
meal and a warm, safe environment. And
this controversy really hit home for me how much we have come to view schools
as the only comprehensive form of poverty alleviation in our
society. This argument regarding schools has become so second-nature to
many, that we never stop and think about what this really means.
2014
PA Gubernatorial Candidate Plans for Education and Arts/Culture in PA
Education
Policy and Leadership
Center
Below is an alphabetical list of the 2014 Gubernatorial Candidates and
links to information about their plans, if elected, for education and
arts/culture in Pennsylvania
2014 PICASSO PROJECT SCHOOL AWARDS
Representatives
from winning schools and partner organizations are invited to join us for the
grants award ceremony on Monday, January 27, 2014 at the World
Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut
Street 6:00pm . RSVP to
info@pccy.org or call 215-563-5848 x11.
January
24th – 26th, 2014 at The Science
Leadership Academy
in Philadelphia
EduCon is
both a conversation and a conference.
It is an
innovation conference where we can come together, both in person and virtually,
to discuss the future of schools. Every session will be an opportunity to
discuss and debate ideas — from the very practical to the big dreams.
FEBRUARY 1ST, 2014
The DCIU Google Symposium is an opportunity for teachers,
administrators, technology directors, and other school stakeholders to come
together and explore the power of Google Apps for Education. The
Symposium will be held at the Delaware County Intermediate Unit. The
Delaware County Intermediate Unit is one of Pennsylvania
NPE National Conference
2014
The Network for Public Education November 24, 2013
The Network for Public Education is pleased to announce our
first National Conference. The event will take place on March 1 & 2, 2014
(the weekend prior to the world-famous South by Southwest Festival) at The University of Texas
at Austin
In the coming weeks, we
will release more details. In the meantime, make your travel plans and click
this link and submit your email address to receive updates about the NPE
National Conference 2014.
The National School Boards Association 74th Annual
Conference & Exposition April 5-7, 2014 New Orleans
The National School Boards Association 74th Annual
Conference & Exposition will be held at the Ernest
N. Morial
Convention Center in New Orleans , LA. New Orleans
General
Session speakers include education advocates
Thomas L. Friedman, Sir Ken Robinson, as well as education innovators Nikhil
Goyal and Angela Maiers.
We have more than 200 sessions planned!
Colleagues from across the country will present workshops on key topics with
strategies and ideas to help your district. View our Conference
Brochure for highlights on sessions and
focus presentations.
·
Register
now! – Register for both the conference and housing using our online
system.
·
Conference
Information– Visit the NSBA conference website for up-to-date information
·
Hotel
List and Map - Official NSBA Housing Block
·
Exposition
Campus – View new products and services and interactive
trade show floor
Join the National
School Boards
Action Center
Participate in a voluntary network to urge your U.S. Representatives and Senators to support
federal legislation on Capitol Hill that is critical to providing high quality
education to America
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